Sled



DSC 3 w40- G. 1 SHERWOOD 2,223,427

sLED

Filed March 15, 1939 v 2 sheets-sheet i 1N Vb L\ TOR. .A Glem Afke/WMZ f ATTORNEY.

Dec., 35 94 fSHERWQOD 2,223,427 v sLED A Filed March 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR.

@era/0056 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sLED Glenn L. Sherwood, Benton Harbor, Mich., assignor to Kaywood Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich., a corporation of Michigan l Application March 13, 1939, serial No. 261,441

14 Claims.

This inventionrelates t sleds, and more particularly to those that have flexible runners, `in combination with a steering gear for flexing the runners, thereby to steer the sled either to the right orthe left.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement wherebythe front ends of the sled runners are flexed-from side to side, thereby to llaterally flex l0 each runner practically throughout its length, so

that the runners are simultaneously bowed laterally, rst to one side and then to `the other, thereby to steer the sled to the right or the left, the steering gear` provided-for that purpose being located forward and suitablyconnected with the front ends of the said runners.

AIt is also an object to provide certain novel details and specific features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eiliciency and desirability of a flexible runner sled of this particular character. l l

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in 'the `accompanying drawings, in whichl l w i Fig, l is a perspective of a sledembodying the principles of the invention. I 'Y Fig. 2 is a similar view with the top or body of the sled omitted for convenience of illustration.

Fig.3 is a transverse section on line 3-31in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentarysectional view on line 4 4 in Fig. 3 ci the drawings. y Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 9 of the drawings. r

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sled shown upside down. g A 1 I l l Fig. 7 is a similar-view showing the runners flexed by the steering gear.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 8 8 in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse fragmentary sectional View on line 9--9 in Fig. 1 of the drawings. y

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a suitable top or body frame I for the sled, of any suitable form of construction. Onthe under side of said flat frame or body, there are front and re-ar cross pieces 2 and 3, and an intermediate transverse cross piece 4, as shown. n

Rear brackets or legs 5 are pivoted on the cross piece 3 at 6, and are provided with segmental slots l, through which bolts 8 are inserted through said cross piece, whereby these brackets may `turn or skew about vertical axes. The parallel flexible runners 9 have their rear end portions rigidly secured at I0 to the lower end portions of the brackets 5, previously mentioned.

Similar brackets I I are pivoted at I2 on the under side of the forward cross piece 2, previously mentioned. The two forwardly extending arms I3 are inserted between the tops of the brackets I I and the under side of the cross piece 10 2, and are made rigid with said brackets. The front ends of the arms I3 are tied'or connected together by a cross bar I4 having its ends pivoted on the front ends of said arms. A transverse steering bar I5 is pivoted by a king bolt I6 on 15 f the body and on the metal plate I1, which latter i-s rigidly secured to the under side of the transverse cross piece 2, previously mentioned, but the edges of this pla-te I 'I preferably overlap theinner edges of lthe arms I3,- to provide 'guides forthe 20 latter when they oscillate about the pivots I2 previously mentioned. The bolt I6 has a nut on its lower end bearing against the under side of the plate l1, a-s shown in the drawings. The cross bar I4 is connected by a pair of longitudinal bars I8 with the king bolt I5, in the manner shown more clearly in Fig. 8 of the drawings, andV also by means of a supplemental bolt I9, as shown, whereby the straps or arms I8 are absolutely rigid with the steering bar I5 of the sled. 30

Thus, with the construction shown and described, tl'ie skewing of the steering vbar I5, in the manner shown in Fig. 7, causes the runners 9 to flex or bow laterally for the purpose of steering the sled. Such skewing of the steering bar I5 shifts the'cross bar I4 laterally lof the sled, thus pushing the front ends of the runners to one side or the other, and in addition this action causes the arms I3 to oscillateabout their pivots I2, so that even were the fron-t ends ofthe runners not attached to the cross bar` I5, there would still be a flexing of the runners by the oscillation of the brackets II about their vertical axes. During such flexing of the runners, it is obvious, as indicated in Fig. 7, that the rear brackets 5 are also oscillated about their vertical axes provided by the pivots 6 previously mentioned. Thus, an effective bowing or flexing of the runners is insured for steering purposes, each runner being 50 substantially flexed throughout the length thereof, by a steering gear applied and connected to the front end portions of the runners for that purpose, leaving the rear ends of the runners free to take care of themselves, so to speak, when 55 the runners at their front ends are flexed to one side or the other.

It will be seen that the pivot I6 for rthe steering bar I occupies a iixed position on the body of the sled, as it is on the plate I'l, which latter is rigid with the sled body. Also, the pivots E and I2 provide vertical axes located at fixed points on the body vof the sled, and these vertical axes are all in rear of the steering bar I5 by which the sled runners are iiexed laterally.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A sled having laterally flexible runners, a transverse steering bar pivoted at its` middle to skew or oscillate about a fixed vertical axis, connections between the steering bar and the front end portions of the runners to flex or bow the latter to one side or the other, about vertical axes iixed on the body of the sled in rear of said bar, and means rigid with the runners at said axes and actuated positively by said bar to assist in said exing of the runners, by power communicated to the latter through said means.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means comprising front pivoted brackets forming front legs between the body of the sled and said runners, and means for pivoting said brackets on the body to oscillate about vertical axes.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means comprising front pivoted brackets forming front legs between the body of the sled and said runners, and means for pivoting said brackets on the body to oscillate about vertical axes, the connections between the steering bar and the front portions of the runners comprising forwardly extending arms rigid at their rear ends with said brackets and connected at their forward ends with the front ends of the runners, and comprising also an arm rigid with said steering bar and pivotally connected with the front ends of said forwardly extending arms.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1,` comprising front brackets forming said means, and rear brackets, each bracket having its top pivoted on the sled body to oscillate about a vertical axis,

and with each bracket rigidly secured to the runner.

5, A structure as specified in claim 1, said steering bar and connections being adapted and arranged to act on the extreme front ends of the runners, and also on portions of the runners'immediately in the rear of said extreme front ends.

6. A kstructureas specified in claim- 1, said means comprising brackets forming legs between the runners and the under side of the sled body, each bracket being pivoted to oscillate about one ofsaid vertical axes when the runners are bowed or flexed to one side or the other.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising frontpivoted brackets forming front legs between the body of the sled and said runners, and means for pivoting said brackets on the body to oscillate about said vertical axes, the connections between the steering bar and the front portions' of the runners comprising forwardly extending arms rigid at their rear ends with said brackets and connected at their forward ends with the front ends of the runners, and comprising also an arm rigid with said steering barand pivotally connected with the front ends of said forwardly extending arms, together with a plate rigid with the sled body and forming guides for the rear portions of saidforwardly extending arms, and a king bolt extending through said plate and body at the middle of said steering bar.

8. A sled having a pair of laterally flexible runners, a pair of brackets pivoted on the under side of the body of the sled to turn about xed vertical axes, the lower ends of the brackets being secured to said runners, a pair of longitudinal arms rigid with the tops of saidbrackets, a transverse link pivoted on the ends of said arms, and steering gear pivoted at a fixed point on the sled body and connected to said link, to move the latter endwise, thereby to skew the brackets about their vertical axes and thus ex the runners laterally.

9. A structure as specied in claim 8, said arms extending forwardly, and said steering gear comprising a transverse steering bar provided with a rigid arm having pivotal connection with the middle portion of said link.

A structure as specified in claim 8, said steering gear comprising a transverse steering bar having pivotal connection with the middle portion of said link.

11. A sled having laterally flexible runners, a cross-bar rigid with the under side of the forward portion of the sled body, vbrackets pivoted at their upper ends on the bottom of said bar, secured at their lower ends to said runners, a plate rigid with said bar, extending forward from the under side of the latter, between the tops of said brackets, a forwardly extending member rigid at its rear end with the top of each bracket, a front bar having itsends pivoted on the front ends of said members, and on the front ends of said runners, a steering bar pivoted on the front portion of said plate, and an arm pivoted at its front end on the middle portionof said front bar and rigid at its rear end with said steering bar.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11, and means forming vertical pivots for the rear end portions of the runners, leaving the middle portions of the runners free to ex laterally.

13. A structure as specified in claim 11, the pivot for said steering `bar comprising a bolt extending downward through the body of the sled and provided at its lower end with a nut bearing against the under side of said plate.

14. A structure as specified in claim 11, said steering bar overlying said members at the middle of the latter.

GLENN L. SHERWOOD. 

